Why I Stopped Working With My Rehab Team After Settlement

Now, I must preface this post by saying that I loved my team, and thought their perspectives were all valid, needed, and always in the right place for my priorities.

This post is more about my personal reflection behind why I chose to move on in such an abrupt way, that worked for me at the time.

I’m all about building my coaching practice in an honest and authentic way so I hope this post can help you to identify with why you did what you did, after your settlement. At the very least, I hope it helps answer some upcoming questions to help you determine the right fit for you after you’ve settled your legal claim.

So, that’s my personal disclaimer. Let’s dive into the personal.

Personal Injury Was A Very Personal & Painful Thing For Me.

To be brutally honest, I couldn’t be vulnerable anymore. It’s really not a common thing for me to live in the past, in any way at all. I also don’t like to complain so often times, I used to let deep and painful feelings pass along.

The problem is, they’d not be resolved, and I’d feel angry. My anger would be target to the people around me – my partner, my team, and myself. Of course, I had my daily meditation practice, but I still was living in a subconscious, emotionally-filled, and UNAWARE way.

I was living a life full of emotional and physical pain, and relied heavily on a team of health practitioners to get me through the weeks, and months. And they too had to see my anger. When my case settled, I felt it was time to let go of that anger, and create a whole new meaning to my life – the beautiful I live today!

CREATING MY BEAUTIFUL LIFE OF ABUNDANCE.

So you may be wondering what happens when the case settles, and how you’ll get by without all those people who know you so well. Or you might be wondering if the case will ever settle at all. Well, it eventually will. When it does, you’ll know how I too felt – relief!

It was as though I had my life back in an instant. All of a sudden, all my fears of not being taken care of, were dissipated. I had done a variety of physical therapies, and knew I needed to maintain a practice of some sort, and knew I had the resources to do so. BUT, I had choice!

With the case being settled, I’d learned about many different practitioners known in the rehab world as being geniuses at what they do. Yet, I had this previous loyalty and personal healing relationship that was relevant and important. While it made sense to keep going in treatments, I knew if I kept going to the same practitioners, and essentially doing the same routine over and over again (which I hated to no end), I’d spend nearly all my time managing a life in rehab. It had to end.

I took my money and invested it wisely. Some of it, I secured in a Structured Annuity that offered me a tax-free option over a set time, which I chose to exercise. It was a beautiful solution to having security, and it was tax-free! I also continued where I left off before the accident, and put my money in my self-directed trading account, and created a different life for myself where I watched the markets daily.

I learned how to earn a living again – not doing what I loved the most, but I knew it would eventually show its beautiful face :). I quickly went on a quest to find a sperm donor and get pregnant – this was a beautiful journey and I was suddenly involve with a beautiful being growing inside me. I was at peace. I was as organized as I could be, given my place. I will always work towards being better organized!

MY NEW TEAM WAS CREATED WITH A HOLISTIC VISION

Within weeks of settlement, I’d called up a new physiotherapist, and left behind the massage therapist and chiropractors – at least for the time being. I was more money conscious, and I also wanted to slow down a bit on the life of ‘rehab’. I wanted to use that physiotherapist to the max, and see if I could get results based on my love of kayaking. I was no longer under a microscope with the insurer, and felt it was time for me to dive deeper into my passion for sports and athletics, while still keeping a strong emphasis on what my body could handle. Physiotherapy become my key treatment, and I learned so much from her. I saw her 2-3x per week depending on how my back was feeling. She helped me unravel tension in my feet from having screws and a plate – which all restrict motion and movement. I used anger as a powerful tool for getting stronger FOR ME.

Life got better and better because I felt I had control again. My relationship finally ended, and we both knew it was time to say goodby. And I maintained contact with a few practitioners as I needed them during my pregnancy, for maintenance. But overall, I created a vision for myself that involved contact with my soul – not just my body and my mind.

Not everyone will feel like this, but it’s pretty common to want to stop working with your ‘rehab team’ after settlement. I’d rather you chose to work with someone, than no one. I’d rather you consider these options before settlement, and know that what you will be feeling is quite normal.

DON’T FRET, I DID LOVE MY TEAM.

While rehab was painful for me, at least my health practitioners were highly knowledgeable and skilled at what they did. I could never have healed the way I did, during those years, had I not had each and every one of them. I had their support during insurance treatment disputes, that allowed me to continue with treatment until my lawyers pursued the insurer for the OK.

In fact, there were parts about my time in rehab and in litigation that I liked, before it settled.

Here are some of the winning points of #rehablife:

You’re able to have your own schedule You’re able to work with a variety of different practitioners You learn what your body is really capable of You learn so much about patience, and just how triggered you can be, by the simplest thing. The people you meet along the way will be interested in you and your injuries. You can prioritize what matters to YOU – unlike when you were running on auto-pilot in your previous life. You’ll build a tight-knit team of talented practitioners, and legal representatives who have your back.

The best of all: Someone has your back!

My business as a Mindfulness Coach + Health Consultant was born out of my personal injury rehab days. I never would have imagined returning to any meaningful work, whatsoever. In fact, I was pretty sure to never have “patient contact” again. I was a nurse, and here I was being nursed. It was horrible! I was a chiropractic student, and here I was seeing the very chiropractor who was training my friends in contemporary acupuncture. I was supposed to be in that class!!! (Love you Jimmy & Kate!).

What life vision are you currently pursuing? What led you to the place you’re in now? How do you work rehab into your life, without it being rehab? I want to hear about it in the comments (and I’ll touch base with you!)